Hasan Rowhani (search) said it was unlikely the Islamic Republic will resume actual uranium enrichment — injecting uranium gas into centrifuges — but that it expects to restart activities at its uranium conversion facility in Isfahan, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

"It's unlikely that uranium enrichment ... which takes place in Natanz will be resumed but it's likely that some activities atIsfahan Uranium Conversion Facility (search) will restart next week," IRNA quoted Rowhani as saying.

Both state-run television and the news agency reported that Rowhani was saying the activities will resume next week, though his remark as quoted by the agency appeared to leave some room for doubt.

The central cities of Natanz and Isfahan house the heart of Iran's nuclear program. The conversion facility in Isfahan reprocesses uranium ore concentrate into gas. The gas is then taken to Natanz and fed into the centrifuges for enrichment.

Uranium enriched to low levels is used as fuel for nuclear reactors to generate electricity, but further enrichment makes it suitable for atomic bomb.